Swans - The Beggar (released June 23, 2023)

Swans's The Beggar album was officially released today (June 23, 2023). It is the 16th studio album release from Michael Gira's Swans project -- the debut, Filth, came out in 1983. While this sounds like a continuation of the Swans' revival after 14 years (during those years Gira was active with Angels of Light) that started in 2010 with My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky, then came The Seer (2012), then To Be Kind (2014), then The Glowing Man (2016), and then leaving meaning. in 2019, this also reminds me of music from albums like Love of Life (1992), The Great Annihilator (1995) and Soundtracks for the Blind (1996) and also it feels similar to Angels of Light music, especially with the later tracks.

This has been my most anticipated album of the year. This does have a self-referential quality as it draws on some earlier Swans themes/ qualities. For instance, in the roughly 44 minute "The Beggar Lover (Three)" we get a "Leaving Meaning section". We also get Soundtracks of the Blind (and earlier) qualities with that epic suite. How it draws in these spoken word moments that feel like interviews with ambient qualities -- I love that. The long piece is my favourite of the album, even if I could maybe do without the "Leaving Meaning" bit (I love the "Leaving Meaning" track on the leaving meaning. album. "The Ebb" is beautiful and my other favourite. I would like "No More of This", which I also really like, as the last track. Another standout track is "Michael Is Done." I won't bother with a track by track unless I review it.

I do have rather mixed emotions about this album, but it may grow a lot more on me. For one, it can get rather samey and monotonous to me -- I have no issue with repetition. Some of it has a fantastic groove and some of it I am not connecting to. I wish Gira sung less on it, and there's more of a balance with a female singer -- how wonderful it might have been to have Jarboe back. Gira's vocals are flat commonly here, and the lyrics, well, they can be rather cringe to me. I mean, he has come up with some amazing lyrics overt the years, I think. The way there are background chorus qualities, which go back for me with Swans to late 80s are rather overused I feel across tracks despite me loving vocals used that way generally. So I do wish there was more variation, it was more eclectic, multiple lead singers, more contrast. It does have an air of finality to the album like it is drawing things together from the past, but it also feels kind of safe, maybe a bit conservative.

I like it and there is plenty of music that I love on it even if a fair amount of it has not clicked.

Here is the bandcamp page for the album:

https://swans.bandcamp.com/album/the-beggar

And the official youtube playlist for the album: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUcXHQ7VorrWIRsVbow4_0SUXohpj-4XB



Please pay for and support, that 44 minute track is quite a steal already at the bandcamp minimum price.

I hope to hear other's thoughts on the album. I hardly expect this to get as much commentary from a variety of people as that thread on Yes' last album.

EDIT: Changed the topic title from "officially released today" to the release date, which as of this edit today, which is on the 24th, was yesterday.


Edited by Logan - June 24 2023 at 13:16

I love most Swans from Children of God (1987) up. Of the modern Swans era ones, The Seer, To Be Kind, and The Glowing Man are I think all amazing.

I love Swans, and am tempted to say just try to explore lots of the discography. I fell for Soundtracks for the Blind first. And of the modern era ones, it was The Glowing Man for me that first did it (because I am into Krautrock and it has some of that vibe).

Can by difficult. When I was pretty new to it, and I heard tracks like "Helpless Child" off Soundtracks for the Blind, and, more blind, "Blind" off White Light from the Mouth of Infinity (a bonus, was originally on a Gira "solo" album) and then tracks like "The Glowing Man", "A Piece of the Sky", "Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture", "Mind Body Light Sound" "Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett)" etc. the tracks just hooked me easily. Often whole albums were more of challenge, especially with how long some of them are. For some reason Soundtracks for the Blind was always easier for me to listen to from end to end, and other classic ones are which are shorter, than something like The Seer. The Glowing Man was pretty easy for me and so was To Be Kind, but the Seer although I loved music in it immediately was a challenge. That might be a great one for Bardberic to try already.

I do think lots of people could find something to easily like in the discography, especially if they are okay not going with full albums at first. Generally it's the longest tracks from Swans that seem to really appeal to me. With this new album "The Beggar Lover (Three)" was a bigger love for me than other tracks. In fact, the songs they originally released from the album didn't do much for me. Some might think the long ones can be too repetitive and meandering, but hey, that's how I post and that's how I think so it resonates with my psyche.

Just finished my first listen straight through. Still recovering.

Surely you recognise my avatar, Logan?

Edited by Gordy - June 23 2023 at 22:19

No worries, it's sourced from the booklet artwork from We Rose from Your Bed With the Sun in Our Head.

on my 4th listen through. loving it.  all of it.  the 44 min track is pretty damn awesome.

^ It is 1987 and up starting with Children of God where my interest in Swans has mostly been (that said, I do like listening to the harsher and less melodic earlier albums too when in the mood). So many great albums. I only really got into Swans in a big way in the last few years -- it partially came about because I was trying to convince someone that they very likely would find enjoyable Swans if they went beyond the early stuff, and not to dismiss Swans so quickly. That "crusade" turned me into a huge Swans convert (I ended up proselytising myself in that quest, although I already liked various Swans music).

Have it through my Amazon subscription and a number of attempts over the weekend but for me, it's an album best appreciated as a full listen and when it clocks in at 2 hours that was hard to do but did have the time tonight. To me, it's a good in the dark, headphone listen. I had thundershowers tonight and that actually add to the experience. The backgroun sound of the rain against the windows. The occasional flash of lightning and power flicker worked with the music. Definitely the epic 44 minute track was my favorite. Would want to take a few more listens

Started listening to it yesterday, will continue today. If anything, Swans releases are a great inspiration for expanding the section of dark mood tags at TYM 

Listened to the whole album, now, in two sessions. I should say that I'm not necessarily a big fan of Swans; I do like some of their later albums, but find them sometimes a bit long to go through. My preferred one is (was) probably Leaving Meaning, but this listen to The Beggar was quite a good experience. Wonderful album - the best of what I've heard of them, to my ears!